Last week, the much-anticipated annual Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama took place, running from Saturday 1st to Saturday 8th March 2025.
This event celebrates the artistic talents within our community, offering a platform for performers to showcase their skills in music, speech and drama across a variety of styles and disciplines.
BGS was well-represented, with a host of students participating in a wide array of categories. From full choirs and orchestras to solo performances and instrumental ensembles, our students demonstrated their versatility and dedication. The festival also featured a range of speech and drama performances, including verse-speaking, mime and Shakespearean pieces, highlighting the depth of talent within our school.
The Speech and Drama entries were particularly impressive, with a strong showing from students across all year groups. Their hard work was rewarded with an outstanding total of 12 1sts, 18 2nds and 26 3rds. To see the full breakdown of BGS Speech and Drama results, click here.
Our Music participants delivered excellent performances, competing in various classes with a range of ensembles and solo acts. The results were highly commendable, with students achieving 23 first places, 13 second places and 9 third places. Additionally, three performances were awarded Outstanding, 42 received Honours, 56 were Commended and 10 earned Merits. click here.
Mr Page (Director of Music) said: Many of our students received high praise from adjudicators, securing top placements and category wins. A special congratulations to Polly Taylor, whose moving performance of I Dreamed a Dream won her class and the prestigious Rose Bowl for the best Senior performance at the Gala Concert.
BGS ensembles also impressed throughout the week. In the Junior School, Baby Bels and the Junior Orchestra captivated audiences with their engaging programmes, both earning ‘Honours.’ In the Senior School, Genesis won their category with a dynamic set, the Senior Orchestra secured first place with Phantom of the Opera, and Bel Canto’s stunning performances saw them triumph in multiple categories. Their rendition of The Snow was so highly praised that they were invited to perform again at the Gala Concert. Congratulations to every girl who took to the stage. You made us incredibly proud!
Ms Smith (Speech and Drama Coordinator) added: “Congratulations to all the talented Speech and Drama students who performed at the Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama and thank you to the families who supported them.
“Miss Burns and I were thrilled to see the students' dedication, hard work, and passion for the Speech and Drama truly shine through in their performances. Each student brought something unique and special to their chosen texts which allowed them to captivate the adjudicators' attention. Special mention to all those who competed at their first festival (and to their parents too) as we know this can be a daunting experience and to the Year 9 and 10 students who were awarded the Outstanding category for their group and duet performance respectively.
“We are thrilled to share the results and these achievements are a testament to the students commitment, creativity and genuine love of literature”
View a gallery of photos from the competition here.
